wright



H. WRIGHT.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23. 1919.

1 ,398 ,354, Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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ATTORNEY,

H. WRIGHT.

a Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY H. WRIGHT. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

AFPLICATI-ON FILED OCT. 23. I919.

I 1,39 ,354, Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

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In ITIT IN V EN TOR.

' A5 TORNEY UNITED STATES HENRY WRIGHT, OI FRESNO, CALIFORNIA,

IN TERNAL-COMB USTION ENGINE.

Application filed October 23, 1919.

T 0 all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY WRIGHT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county ofFresno, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application. p

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines,and particularly to that typeconstructed on the &-cycle principle havingrotatable sleeve-valves for controlling the admission and exhaust of thefuel mixture to and from the cylinders.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a pressurelubricating system for such valves so that they may turn freely with theworking of the engine.

Another object is to provide a lubricating means so arrangedindependently for each cylinder that the oil pressure will be cut offwhenever one of the valve ports in the rotating valve-sleeve registerswith the oil intake for that particular cylinder. By this means, a greatsaving of oil is effected, as it prevents the oil from being drawn intothe valve-sleeve with the suction or exhaust strokes of the engine.

I have also provided a means apart from the employment of the usualpiston type of compression rings, for insuring that the sleeve adjacenteach port will have a gas tight seat in its casing.

A. further object is to so connect the lubricating means that the supplyof oil fed to the valve-casings will be proportionate to the speed ofthe engine since the faster the engine is turning over the more heat isgenerated and conducted to the metal walls of the valve casings and thevalves themselves, and hence more oil is necessary to insure theirproper working and to prevent the possibility of the valves freezing inthe casings.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposesfor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

Serial No. 332,719.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side section of the intake valve or sleeve and easing of afour-cylinder engine, showing the oil distributing system installed inconnection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on a line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing theposition of the exhaust port at that point in the rotation of the sleevewhen the flow of oil to that portion of the valve casing commences.

Fig. 8 is a similar section, showing the valve sleeves rotated so thatthe intake sleeve casing is about to receive a supply of oil over thatportion of its length corresponding to the diameter of that cylinder fedby the intake port shown.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of an oil distributing unit.

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the same.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the same with the cover or feed-pipe holderremoved.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a valve-sleeve adjacent oneof the ports therein, showing longitudinal grooves or scorings therein.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a tubular and open ended exhaust valvecasing positioned lengthwise of the engine above the cylinders 2 while 3is the intake valve casing extending parallel to the casing 1, similarthereto, but smaller. Both casings of course have separate openings lleading therefrom to each of the cylinders 2. These casings are waterjacketed throughout their length as at 5, as is common custom.

Rotatably mounted in the casing .1 is a hollow valve sleeve 6 having aport 7 therein for each cylinder of the engine. Similarly the casing 23contains a sleeve 8 having a port 9 for each cylinder. These sleeves aremade of an alloy steel having a high resistance against the warpingeffects of heat, and a very small coefficient of expansion.

They are open at one end, each being adapted to communicate with exhaustand intake manifolds 10 and 11 respectively, secured to the end walls ofthe casings 1 and 3. The other ends of the sleeves are closed and havespindles 12 projecting outwardly therefrom, on which spindles are keyedintermeshing gears 13 ball mounted as at 14: in a removable gear housing15 secured to that end of the casings and cylinder casting. Adjustablescrews 16 are mounted in the housing 15 and bear against the ends of thespindles 12 in order to take up any end thrust thereon, the gears 13being slidable on the spindles.

By reason of the intermeshing gears 13, the sleeves 6 and 8 will ofcourse rotate in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows onFigs. 2 and 3.

These sleeves are driven from the crank shaft of the engine at half thespeed thereof by suitably connected g aring to either the intake orexhaust sleeves. This construction is not here shown, since such anarrangement follows standard practice, as for instance is embodied todrive cam shafts.

The exhaust and intake ports 7 and 9 in the sleeves 6 and 8 respectivelyare of course so positioned therein relative to each other and to therotation of the crank shaft of the engine that they will opencommunication with each cylinder through the openings 4- in the casingsat the proper times with regard to the exhaust and suction strokes of.the engine, and to the order of firing of each cylinder. This beingmerely a matter of proper designing and coordinating of the parts, iwill not go into further detail regarding the same.

1 will now describe the lubricating system employed to suitably oil theexhaust and intake valve sleeves.

In the drawings, 1 have shown the lubricating device as applied only tothe intake valve casing and sleeve, and will consequently limit thedescription of the same to the intake valve for the sake of simplicity,since the lubrica ing of both casings, while coordinated and connectedwith a single distributing unit, is each independent of the other, whileat the same time the distributing of the oil, relative to thepositioning of the ports. is exactly the same for each casing. Thislubricating system is shown in connection with a four-cylinder engine,though it may be equally well arranged for any number of cylinders bymerely omitting or adding on certain feed pipes, and other featureswhich are merely duplicated for each cylinder.

The distributing unit comprises a body member of casing 17 provided withan orificed flange 18 on one end to adapt it to be secured to the enginecasting at any desired location.

A disk 19 is rotatably mounted in the casing 17, the outer face of thisdisk being faced in alinement with the outer face of the flange 18. Onehalf of the periphery of the disk 19 is of smaller diameter than theremainder. to form an elongated port 20 to communicate with an annularchannel 21 formed in the casing 17. This channel is in constantcommunication with an oil supply pipe 22 leading from an oil pressurepump, not shown.

A shaft 23 is formed with the disk 19 and projects through the same, andhas a gear 2 1 thereon preferably meshing with one of the gears 13 toturn the disk in the direction shown by the arrow on Fig. 6.

F or clearness of illustration, 1 have shown this distributing unitmounted on top of the intake casing 3, with the gear 2 1 meshing withthe intake sleeve gear, and the housing 15 covering the distributer gearand secured to the casing 17. It is to be understood however, that I donot confine myself to the positioning here shown, since it may belocated in the crank case of the engine, or to one side thereof, as theprof erences of the designer and the limits of space available maydictate.

A face plate '25 is secured to the flange 18 over the disk 19, and isprovided with spaced openings or ports 26 in horizontal alinement withthe port 20, there being one of such ports 26 for every cylinder of theengine.

The casing, disk and face plateare all machined tobe an accurate fitwith each other, so that no oil can pass from the channel 21 to any ofthe ports 26 unless the port 20 in the disk 18 is positively registeredtherewith.

The valve sleeve 8 adjacent each endof each of the ports 9 is providedwi h peripheral grooves 27 and compression rings 28 between eachadjacent pair of such grooves.

Longitudinal grooves 29 are cut in the casing 3 to one side of theopenings 4: (in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3) between each pairof oppositely positioned grooves 27, by oppositely positioned meaningthe grooves at each end of each port.

Therefore, in a four cylinder engine, there are four sets of peripheralgrooves 27, and four communicating and independent longitudinal grooves28, the outer or'extreme end ones of the grooves 27 being merely blindgrooves beyond any of the cylinders.

Oil pipes 30 lead from the ports to the casing 3, each one communicatingwith one of the grooves 27 at corresponding ends of the ports 9. Pipes31 lead from the other ones of the ports 27, and combine with a sin glepipe 32 discharging into the casing 15 exhaust plate communicating withthe interior of the casing 17 at suitably spaced points, as indicated at33.

It will also be evident that by merely increasing or decreasing thenumber of ports 26 and pipes leading therefrom, the same mechanism mayserve for a two, six, eight, or any mutiple cylinder motor.

The sleeves 6 and 8 are longitudinally scored or grooved as shown at 34in Fig. 7, intermediate the opposed grooves 27, in order that a depositof carbon may collect therein, and give the sleeve a more perfectgastight fit in the casing.

The principle of operation of the oiling system is as follows Each portin either sleeve passes at some point in the rotation thereof across thepath of the grooves 29. As each port is in a different alinement fromthe others, the times of passage over the grooves vary.

Therefore, the valve sleeve being common to all the cylinders, thesuction stroke of one cylinder would be drawing in a charge of r thefuel from the sleeve while one of the other ports therein was positionedso that its oil groove 29 registered therewith.

If oil under pressure were in the grooves during the entire rotation ofthe sleeve, the oil would flow in great quantities whenever a port 9crossed the same, and a lot of this oil would be drawn in the cylinderthen sucking in its fuel charge. This is not desired since the cylindershave their own oil supply, and any additional quantity is not onlywasteful and unnecessary but would tend to foul the cylinder walls andplugs, and cause trouble.

It has therefore been my object to eliminate the possibility of such afeature by the use of my automatic distribution unit. The ports 26 areso spaced in the plate 25 and the rotation of the disk 10 so coordinatedtherewith and with the rotation of the sleeves 6 and 8, that when anyport in the sleeves reach a point about as shown in the position of theintake sleeve in Fig. 3, the port 20 in the disk 19 will begin to alinew1th the port 26 and pipe 30 leading to the groove 29 covering thatportion of the length of the sleeve and will admit oil thereto from thechannel 21.

Owing to the length of the port 20, the admission of oil will continueduring a half revolution or so of the disk 19, this being arranged toturn at the same speed as the valve sleeves.

Similarly when each intake port reaches the position as shown in Fig. 3,oil under pressure is admitted to its corresponding pipe 30, and issimilarly shut off after a travel of 180 degrees. Hence, when any portcrosses the path of its groove 29, the oil therein will lie quiescent,since the oil cannot flow therefrom without a tendency to vacuum beingformed in the pipes, presuming of course that all joints are air tight.

The oil flowing through any of the pipes 30 then passes around thecorresponding groove 27, into groove 29, thence around the groove 2? atthe other end, and out into the discharge pipe 31, to be deposited intothe crank case sump through the housing 15, when it is again picked upby the pump and fed into the channel 18 in the distributing housing 17.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an internal combustionengine, in combination with a cylinder thereof, a cylindrical casingconnected with the cylinder and opening thereinto, a valve sleeverotatably mounted in the casing and having a port adapted to communicatewith t 1e cylin der opening at some period in its rotation, a peripheraloil groove in the sleeve beyond each end of the port, a longitudinalgroove in the casing connecting the peripheral grooves, means wherebycirculation of oil through the grooves may he had and means forautomatically cutting off the flow during the passage of the port in thesleeve over the longitdinal groove in the casing.

2. In an internal combustion engine, in combination with a cylinderthereof, cylindrical .casing connected with the cylinder and openingthereinto, a valve sleeve rotatably mounted in the casing and having aport adapted to communicate with the cylinder opening at some period inits rotation, a peripheral oil groove in the sleeve lJBf-flOlUl each endof the port, a longitudinal groove in the casing connecting theperipheral grooves, an oil supply pipe leading to one of the peripheralgrooves and discharge pipe leading from the other groove, and meansinterposed in the supply pipe for cut ting off the supply of oil theretoat predetermined periods in the rotation of the valve sleeve.

3. In an internal combustion engine, in

each end of the port, a longitudinal groove in the casing connecting theperipheral grooves, a supply pipe leading to one of the peripheralgrooves and a discharge pipe leading from the other groove, and meansinterposed in the supply pipe and actuated in coordination with therotation of the sleeve for cutting oil the supply of oil to the pipeduring a certain period of the rotation of the sleeve.

4. In an internal combustion engine, in combination with a cylinderthereof, a cylindrical casing connected with the cylinder and openingthereinto, a valve sleeve rotatably mounted in the casing and having aport aoanted to communicate with the cylinder opening at some period inits rotation, a peripheral oil groove in the sleeve beyond each end ofthe port, a longitudinal groove in the casing connecting the peripheralgrooves, an oil supply pipe leading to one of the peripheral grooves anda discharge pipe leading from the other groove, a body member filledwith oil, a face plate over the body member, the supply pipe beingconnected to said plate to communicate with the body, and rotatablemeans in the body member adjacent the face plate and adapted to closecommunication from the body to the supply pipe during a certain periodof its rotation.

In an internal combustion engine, in combination with a cylinderthereof, a cylindrical casing connected with the cylinder and openingthereinto, a valve sleeve rotatably mounted in the casing anc having aport adapted to communicate with the cylinder opening at some period inits rotation, a peripheral oil groove in the sleeve beyond each end ofthe port, a longitudinal groove in the casing connecting the peripheralgrooves, a supply pipe leading to one of the peripheral grooves and adischarge pipe leading from the other groove, a body member filled withoil, a face plate over the body member, the supply pipe being connected.to said plate to communicate with the body, and a rotatable disk closelyfitted in the body member adjacent the face plate and having aperipheral port therein adapted to provide communication between thebody and the supply pipe for a certain portion of the rotation of thedisk, the disk being arranged to turn in coordination with the rotationof the valve sleeve.

6. In a multi cylinder internal combustion engine, a pair of cylindricalcasings connected with the cylinders and opening into each of them,valve sleeves rotatably mounted in the casings and provided with portsfor each cylinder and circumferentially positioned in relation to .thefiring order of each ylinder, peripheral grooves in the sleeve at theends of each port therein, a longitudinal gro ve in the casingconnecti'ng each such pair of peripheral grooves, an oil supply pipeleading from one of each pair of peripheral grooves to a common sourceoi? supply, the other ones of said grooves communicating with adischargepipe, and means interposed between the source of supply and theindividual supply pipes for admitting oil to each one during a certainperiod of the rotation of the valve sleeves, such period bearing adefinite relation to the position or" each sleeve port adjacent eachperipheral groove ted by the intllliClHfLl supply pipes.

7. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, a pair of cylindricalcasings connected with cylinders and opening into each of them, valvesleeves rotatably mount ed in the casings and provided with ports foreach cylinder and circumferentially positioned in relation to the tiringorder of each cylinder, peripheral grooves in the sleeve at the ends ofeach port therein, a longitudinal groove in the casing connecting eachsuch pair of peripheral grooves, an oil supply pipe leading from one ofeach pair of peripheral grooves to a common source of supply, the otherones of said grooves communicating with a discharge pipe, and meansinterposed between the source of supply and the individual supply pipes,and

coordinated in operation with the rotationof the sleeves and theposition of the ports therein, for admitting oil to each supply pipedu"ing a certain period of the rotation of tie sleeves; such period foreach supply pine having a direct relation to the position of thecorresponding valve-port in the casing.

8. In a lulnii'ating system for rotary vaives, an oil supply pipeleading to the valve, a body member filled with oil, a face plate overthe body member, the supply pipe being connected with the plate tocommunicate with the oil-space in the body, and rotatable means in thebody adjacent the face plate arranged to shut off the supply pipe duringa certain period of its rotation.

5), In a lubricating system for rotary valves, an oil supply pipeleading to the valve, a body member filled with oil, a face plate overthe body member, the supply pipe being connected with the plate tocommunicate with the oil-space in the body, and a rotatable disk in thebody operated in con- JtlllCClOIl with the rotary valve and arranged 'toshut oii? the supply pipe "from communication with the body during acertain period of its rotation, the supply pipe being off-set from theaxis of the disk.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.HENRY NRIGH'I.

vVitnesses MYRTLE JErsnN, J. P. Trans.

